2023-11-20 07:35:37
The United States Army this Monday annulled the sentences handed down in courts-martial a century ago against 110 African American soldiers, including 19 who were executedsaying they were denied fair trials, in a historic acknowledgment of official racism in the United States.
The Army Board for Correction of Military Records vacated the convictions, restoring their service records as having been honorably concluded and making their descendants eligible for military benefits, the Army said in a statement.
“After a thorough review, the Board found that these soldiers were treated incorrectly because of their race and they did not receive fair trials. By setting aside their convictions and granting them honorable discharges, the Army is acknowledging past mistakes and setting the record straight,” the Army said. Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement.
The change comes as right-wing politicians and parents ban books that discuss race and slavery in schools and the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action policies meant to promote racial equality in college admissions.
Arising from the Houston riots of 1917
The Army’s condemnations arose from the Houston riots of August 23, 1917, an outbreak of violence that followed months of racist taunts against black soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment. They were also known as the Buffalo Soldiers.a name of Native American origin given to black regiments in the military dating back to the 19th century.
That day, black soldiers guarding military property were subjected to racist insults and physical attacks, the military said. About 100 fellow black soldiers came to his aid and marched into the city, where the resulting violence killed 19 people, the military said.
An Army court-martial ultimately convicted 110 black soldiers, including 19 who received the death penalty, in a process that historians determined contained “numerous irregularities”said the army.
The review board concluded that the court-martial cases were so fundamentally unfair that all convictions should be overturned.
Largest execution of US soldiers in history
The mass execution of 19 soldiers was the largest carried out by the Army of US soldiers in history, the Army said.
The first group of men he was secretly hanged a day later of the sentence, the army said.
The convictions were overturned after the South Texas College of Law asked the Army to review the cases, prompting requests from retired officers to grant clemency to the 110 soldiers, the Army said.
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